The crimson-gold lightning soul power was dazzling as it climbed and bounced across nine spherical metallic components. Stimulated by the soul power, the components instantly liquefied, enveloping the sword-shaped component within. The black sword with golden patterns, 霆夜剑 (Thunder Night Sword), landed steadily in Lin Qian's hand.
The black wide-blade sword, crackling with lightning, was something Zhou Yi'an was very familiar with—he had seen it countless times. Yet this time, it felt unfamiliar to him, as did the Lin Qian standing before him.
Crimson-gold lightning soul power and White Orchid Ice Soul Power intertwined within the same person. Two ancestral-level martial souls, fully equipped with soul armaments, were held in both hands by the same person.
Such a scene was unimaginable to Zhou Yi'an, Fang Shuiwen, and Yang Guixiang—it was beyond anything they could have ever conceived. And now, it was happening right in front of them.
Seeing the three elders' expressions filled with indescribable shock, Lin Qian suddenly felt playful. Grinning at the three of them, the Radiant Yellow Imperial Soul Power surged out from within him, joining the mix of energies.
Three distinct soul powers fused together. Under the astonished gazes of the three elders, Lin Qian twirled both swords in his hands and then slammed the 霆夜剑 and Cloud Sword together.
In an instant, a brilliant, blinding golden light burst forth. Both the 霆夜剑 and Cloud Sword disappeared, replaced by a long golden sword etched with dragon patterns: the Imperial Sword.
Golden-yellow soul power surged along the sword's body like a dragon in flight, exuding an aura of supreme dominance. The oppressive power it emitted as it was swung made it seem as though nothing could stand in its way.
At the same time, Lin Qian's soul power exploded in full force, and the twelve layers of soul radiance made it impossible to look directly at him.
"Enough, enough! We know how powerful you are, young master. Stop showing off and torturing us old men!" Fang Shuiwen quickly stepped forward, waving his hand at Lin Qian, his tone urgent.
Lin Qian chuckled at Fang Shuiwen's words and withdrew the soul armaments, dismissing the equipped soul gear. Like a child showing off, he asked in a playful tone, "How about it, old timers? Do I qualify to know everything now? Don't hold anything back."
The three elders exchanged glances and let out bitter chuckles. They had thought themselves well-versed in the world, but Lin Qian's terrifying talent was something they'd never encountered before.
Zhou Yi'an especially knew just how strong Lin Qian's physical body was. Looking at the young man before him, Zhou Yi'an could only shout internally, "Master, just how monstrous of a grandson have you produced?"
The three elders slumped back into their chairs, staring blankly at Lin Qian, unable to collect their thoughts for a moment. After all, even the legendary 元翔 (Yuan Xiang) of the Soul Martial Continent had been shocked into a stupor when he discovered that Lin Qian possessed two ancestral-level martial souls, could equip them simultaneously, and even fuse them. It had taken him half a day to recover.
If such a renowned figure reacted that way, what chance did these three old men have?
If they had been hesitant earlier, worrying that revealing the truth about Lin Qian's parents and their master might be premature, those concerns had now vanished entirely.
Premature? What a joke! With Lin Qian's monstrous abilities, telling him everything right now wasn't too soon at all.
The three elders were now fully convinced. They finally understood how Lin Qian had managed to kill Qin Yunyu in an instant.
Yang Guixiang laughed and said to Fang Shuiwen and Zhou Yi'an, "That Qin Yunyu was just unlucky to run into a monster like the young master!"
The other two nodded in agreement. What had once seemed an inconceivable feat now appeared perfectly reasonable to them.
The three elders could confidently say that, with Lin Qian's talents, he stood unmatched on the Soul Martial Continent—no one could rival him.
After they calmed themselves, the three elders began, one by one, to explain everything to Lin Qian, helping him understand what had happened.
It turned out that his mother was indeed from one of the five great families of the Central Region, the Yun Family. This Yun Family was the same powerful family that Lin Qian had learned about from Fang Ziqian, the creators of the Body Refinement tome.
His mother, Yun Yunyan, was the eldest daughter of the Yun Family, and his maternal grandfather was the current head of the family.
However, his maternal grandfather was not the most powerful figure in the family. The true authority within the Yun Family was his maternal great-grandfather—Yun Qian's father.
Through the elders, Lin Qian learned that their master was, in fact, his maternal grandfather, and that the three of them had once been his followers.
"Although our master is also the son of the Yun Family patriarch, he was adopted from a side branch. In the patriarch's eyes, he pales in comparison to his legitimate son—our master's younger brother."
"As Soul Martialists grow stronger, the more difficult it becomes for them to have children. So, in this world, it's not uncommon for fathers and sons to be a century or two apart in age."
At this point, Zhou Yi'an sighed deeply. According to him, the Yun Family Patriarch had no children by the age of 200, so he adopted Lin Qian's maternal grandfather from a side branch. However, five years later, the patriarch's wife conceived and gave birth to a legitimate son, and Lin Qian's grandfather's status plummeted.
In order to pave the way for his biological son to inherit the family, the Yun Family Patriarch deliberately sent Lin Qian's grandfather out to gain experience.
Rather than resist, Lin Qian's grandfather left the Central Region and traveled to the Southern Region, where he met Fang Shuiwen, Zhou Yi'an, and Yang Guixiang. The four of them became close companions, with the three elders becoming his loyal followers.
"Your grandfather was truly an extraordinary man. He made a name for himself in the world and was known as Lord Yun. We three were his trusted generals under his command."
"Our master became the head of the Yun Family because of his strength and capability. The patriarch called him back to manage the family, but to the Yun Family Patriarch, he was nothing more than a dog!" Yang Guixiang said, his anger barely contained as he punched the ground.
Fang Shuiwen, sighing sadly, added, "Worried that we'd suffer, our master sent us back to the Southern Region. With nothing else to do, we founded the Twin Extremes Hall, Xiaoyao Sect, and Blood Spirit Valley. We spent our days sparring and training, passing the time."
"But why did my parents come to the Southern Region?" Lin Qian asked, feeling a rising fury over his grandfather's treatment but keeping it in check.
At this question, the three elders frowned, and Zhou Yi'an shook his head, "We didn't know much about that until later, because your parents came to the Southern Region in secret."
"It wasn't until we contacted our master that we learned the truth," Fang Shuiwen explained, his face darkening with anger. "The Yun Family Patriarch wanted to marry your mother off as a concubine to Jiang Wenxin from the Jiang Family."
"And this Jiang Wenxin, he's taken over 300 concubines in the past, more than 200 of whom he tortured to death!"